After Worlds
by blackindiaink
Summary: From an anon prompt on tumblr. Chloe is finding herself after worlds and she starts by going to see Aubrey.
1. Chapter 1

Worlds was over, the school done, and it was time for Chloe to figure out what she was going to do with her life after graduation. Obviously, her first stop was a visit to Aubrey.

She stepped out of her car, grabbing her bag from the back seat and set out for the lobby of the lodge. A chipper girl in a pink polo and khaki shorts sat at reception, leafing through the latest People magazine.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

The girl jumped, shoving the magazine under the counter. "Sorry, uh... yeah?"

Chloe pursed her lips, and held back a laugh. "I'm looking for Aubrey she's expecting me."

"Oh! You're the girlfriend."

"What?" Chloe's eyebrows shot up and she leaned forward towards the now very frightened receptionist.

"I just assumed since she said you'd be staying in her room and there's only one bed and you guys seemed so... uh... close."

Girlfriends, they were not but it wasn't for lack of wishing on Chloe's part. Their occasional bouts of casual sex had exponentially increased once Beca came around and Aubrey started to get scared that she would lose Chloe but when that didn't happen they just grew distant.

Aubrey graduated and got her new job. Chloe stayed at Barden and though they were still best friends, there didn't seem to be much more beyond that. Until, the Bellas had come to find their sound. The last night there something had happened.

After the campfire she had walked Aubrey back to her room and they talked. About everything and about nothing but most of all they reconnected. Aubrey was happy and in a great place and Chloe was ready to move on with her life and see what was out there for her after the Bellas.

It seemed now might be their time. So, she was here to see what would happen, to take a chance. She was drained after all the emotional highs of late. Even winning took a toll. All that anxiety leading up to worlds crashed and burned her brain when she was finally able to relax.

"Okay, well, where is she?"

Chloe avoided the whole awkward assumption part of the conversation. This girl had no reason to know their business as Aubrey would say.

"Oh, she's in her office." The girl twisted around and pointed to the hallway at the back of the room that lead to the left. "End of the hall, on the left."

"Thanks," Chloe replied. She made her way around the desk and down to the hall. The lodge's interior was full of upscale decor and furnishings. It made her wonder just which corporations paid to send their employees here. Aubrey must be making bank. She kept walking, her boots making a sharp clicking sound on the stained cherry wood floor.

The last door in the hallway was a dark wooden affair with a nameplate on the outside that read: Aubrey Posen, Director. She had not been surprised at her friend's quick ascension to running the entire lodge. If there was one thing that Aubrey enjoyed, it was having power and control. She could get carried away but balance had come into her life. Senior year had helped start that and Chloe now found that Aubrey was even more comfortable with herself than before.

She knocked and waited, hearing an authoritative, "Come in.", after a moment. The dark gold door handle turned easily in her hand and she pushed open the heavy door to find Aubrey at a large desk, which was perfectly neat.

She looked up to see who it was and Chloe smiled, dimples appearing. Aubrey's slow half smile in response was a resplendent sight. It was better than a full blown smile. The sight of Chloe started up those parts of Aubrey's brain that were definitely not safe for work.

"Hey," Chloe said. Her coy manner carried through in her voice.

Aubrey sat back in her chair and released the mouse she had been using. "Hey yourself."


	2. Chapter 2

**These will be relatively short chapters as I'm working on some other things at the same time. Guest, thanks so much for your review!**

Aubrey sent Chloe back to her room to put her things away. There was still a little bit of work she had to get done before she could turn her attention to more pleasant pursuits. The owners of the retreat had put her in complete control of the day to day operations and corporate relations. The tasks sometimes required a certain social delicacy that had not been her forte in the past.

She learned to manage it. People and information were hard to oversee but in the time between graduation and getting this job she'd put a lot of work in on her mental state. Her control issues were only troublesome if she didn't have coping mechanisms in place. With some help, she was able to get a handle and develop a more balanced considering which impulses to act upon. It allowed her to be more able to see the big picture of how her words and actions affected people. Under her anxiety and fear lay a person who was genius at handling people, being a competent manager, and taking care of a flourishing business.

One last email, a short missive confirming an appointment, and she was ready to go. She'd taken the next two days off, a rarity. The demands of her job made her proud but recouping from them was sometimes problematic. The nature of her work was such that even when she was off, she was on call. So, there wouldn't be a complete break. If there were any major issues she would be right back in the office.

She reached out, flicking off the monitor and retrieving her keys from the top drawer. The office held confidential client information. Even though it was locked in her desk, she felt the need to lock the door as well. She twisted the knob to check that it was locked and walked down the hall and past reception.

"I'm leaving, Mona. Call me if there's an emergency but otherwise don't" She pinned the girl in her gaze. Sometimes Mona was a little too quick to make a small situation into a real issue. Aubrey liked the girl. She had a silly sense of humor and her intelligence was deceptive. Still, Aubrey was also Mona's boss and that relationship took precedence.

"Gotcha," Mona replied, giving her a mock salute. "Have fun with your girl person." She leaned forward, putting a hand to the side of her mouth in a conspiratorial manner. "She's really, really hot."

Aubrey shook her head, and let out a laugh but played along and whispered back. "Yes, she is." Two years ago that comment would have left her jealous and incensed. Now, she only felt a little twinge at the thought of Mona checking Chloe out. She eyed the magazine on the reception desk and pointed. "I wasn't aware that part of your job description involved reading trashy magazines."

The horror stricken look Mona wore was too good. Aubrey's face cracked into a smile. "I'm just messing with you." Honestly, she didn't blame Mona. Sitting out here answering phones had to get boring. "I'll see you later." She waved and turned for the door, happy to see the sun was shining bright.

Mona breathed a sigh of relief behind her and chuckled. "Good one, boss."

Once out the door she felt free. Exploration was an appreciated new frontier, one that she'd not taken up for herself until recently. Thoughts of self devaluation kept her from really believing that she deserved Chloe's affection. For the other part, fear of having her heart broken took care of the rest of the reason she hadn't given herself over to the relationship.

They were different people now and she was no longer scared of distance and the influence of others. Each step towards Chloe meant a foot towards the future. She needed that. Meaningful relationships of a romantic nature were few in her life. She had made it so over the years of holding those interactions away from her. They were something to avoid. Experience had let that feeling of emptiness eat at her until the thought of letting someone in landed more on the positive side than the negative.

Chloe had stayed, even after she had been pushed away. That was significant. The sun beat down on her shoulders, calming her rather than causing discomfort. Today, she was ready to tell the world that Chloe Beale was the only person that could understand and love her not in spite of but because of her fucked up mind. In her turn, she loved Chloe for everything that she was, even when she was angry, annoyed, or afraid, Chloe still made her heart swell.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Guys! Thank you**_ _ **so much**_ _ **for your reviews. You are all wonderful and I'm so glad you like it so far. I'm going to try to get a chapter out every few days from now on. Work has been kind of slow so that makes it easier for me.**_

The lodge was set up in five different buildings, placed in a grove surrounded by dense forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were seven miles from the nearest town, a distance that allowed complete immersion in the wild. The surroundings were serene and though the lodge grounds were perfectly manicured, they still seemed to be carved straight out of the forest. A little cozy paradise in the midst of nature. Chloe liked it out here. It reminded her of camping with her family in the summer and Girl Scouts summer trips.

When she'd read Aubrey's email detailing her new job it had taken her by surprise. The wilderness and the kind of people who came to it didn't really fit Aubrey's profile. She was more of a ski trip to Aspen, summering on the Cape kind of girl. Now, that she'd seen Aubrey in the environment for herself, it fit. The subtle changes worked for her, making Chloe even more excited for her.

Aubrey's rooms were in a building opposite the guest quarters. Most of the staff lived in town but a few lived on the lodge property out of necessity. It was cozy and you couldn't ask for better views than the one out of the floor to ceiling living room windows. The decor was perfect, very Aubrey. Tasteful and cottage like but with a high end modern flair. The whole place was small and really like a two bedroom apartment than anything.

She opened the door, and sighed. Nothing had changed since she was last here. Colourful yet tasteful paintings and framed posters adorned the walls. The furniture was nice but comfortable and the kitchen was open to the living room, allowing for easy entertaining.

She dropped her keys on the oak side table and walked across the living room to deposit her bag in the bedroom. The bed sat centered against the far wall, a green distressed wood night stand with three different coloured drawers on either side. The bedspread was a light ice blue, a color Aubrey said reminded her of Chloe's eyes.

She smiled as she remembered the last time she was in that bed…

 _She woke from a deep sleep the best sleep she'd had in years. She felt safe and warm. Snuggling into the body beside her she realized why. Her sleepy eyes blinked open and she saw Aubrey beside her, hair fanned out above her head on the pillow, resplendent in sleep._

 _The other Bellas had gone back to campus already but Chloe stayed. They needed to talk, not just about Chloe's decision to graduate but about the future in general. There hadn't been much talking after Aubrey had kissed her but that was okay because the physical reconnection had spoken more than words. She reached up, grazing her knuckles along Aubrey's chin and then down under the bed spread onto her naked chest where she rested her hand._

 _The touch woke Aubrey. She smiled without opening her eyes, she pushed her arms above her head. Chloe smiled in reply, taking in the feel of their bodies twisted around other as Aubrey stretched her body. They were both gloriously naked, a condition that Chloe approved of most fully. "I loved last night," she said._

 _The capsule of silence broken, Aubrey opened one eye and looked down at Chloe, finished her stretch and settled back into the bed, fully awake now. "It was kind of awesome."_

 _Chloe bit her lip. Four hours was all they had left before she had to leave and she needed to broach the topics they needed to address. Aubrey liked to process and she respected that but she needed some kind of direction. "So, what are we?" The phrase popped out, forced by her anxious mind. "I mean, what do you want?"_

 _Aubrey blinked, her mind still sleep hazed and not ready to take on the heaviness. "Uh," she stumbled._

 _Chloe frowned and bit her lip, moving her head off of Aubrey's shoulder so that she could look at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to just kind of spring that on you." She pushed her red waves away from her eyes with one hand and shrugged a freckled shoulder. "I've been thinking about it and I don't exactly know what I'm going to do after graduation yet but one thought I had was getting my masters in Ashville." She looked up, nervous._

 _Aubrey's face remained impassive and then slowly her lips raised on either side and she laughed, a small choked laugh. It wasn't a humerous laugh, but one of relief. Chloe's raised an eyebrow, and grinned. "Would you be open to that?"_

 _Ashville was close, in fact, it was just seven miles down the road. "Yes, I'd be open to that." Aubrey launched herself at Chloe, rolling her over so that she was straddling her waist. "Are you sure you're not just doing this for me?"_

 _Chloe reached up, settling her hands on Aubrey's hips and squeezing. "I'm doing this mostly for me, a little bit for you, but the part that's for you is also for me so that's okay." Her intentions were to let Aubrey know that she was going to be there fully. They both had some issues with relationships but she knew Aubrey rarely let anyone in. The entire four years at Barden she hadn't dated anyone seriously and only hooked up with a few people. Chloe was her longest running relationship that was anything past friendship._

" _I want to move really slow with this. We both need to be comfortable," Chloe said_

 _It was a new side, for Chloe to plan like this. Thought had been given to this speech. Not that Chloe was thoughtless normally, but she went about her affairs driven by emotion in the moment. Aubrey liked things to be structured and that was good for her, but Chloe liked to think her spontaneity helped Aubrey loosen up and enjoy life a little._

" _Okay," Aubrey answered._

 _Chloe could see her processing and she reached out to smooth the furrows that appeared in Aubrey's brow. "I'm not saying I want us to move in together or anything."_

 _Panic flashed in Aubrey's eyes and Chloe giggled, reaching in a gesture of comfort. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."_

 _Aubrey rolled her eyes and sighed, secretly loving Chloe's mischief. "Ever since we started talking a lot again I've been thinking about us." She met Chloe's eyes. "You're the only person I can imagine in my life like that. You're the only person I want.. that I've ever wanted like that. I just need some time." She blinked, holding back emotion. "Can we ease into things. I don't want to lose you, but I can't jump into anything. It's just not…"_

" _You," Chloe whispered, fondly. She stroked Aubrey's face, smiling faintly. "I know. And I'm one hundred percent willing to go as slow as you need, but I'm not letting you get away without giving us a chance."_

" _Thank you," Aubrey mouthed and leaned down, her lips hovering over Chloe's._

The front door closed, causing Chloe to jump and drop her bag. How long had she been standing here lost in memories? She had no idea but she was soon surprised further by the feeling of Aubrey's arms encircling her from behind and the feeling of their bodies pressed together. "I thought you'd never get here," Chloe teased.

"Me either," Aubrey said, skipping the small talk and pulling Chloe's hair aside. Her lips met smooth skin and Chloe gasped. "But I'm here now."

Chloe could feel Aubrey's smile against her neck and she knew that they would be okay. They had a shot and they both wanted this. No matter what, she was glad that she had chosen to bring the Bellas here all those weeks ago. For many reasons, the most promising of which was giving love a shot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I apologise for the wait. My muse decided to pack up and go away for awhile but she arrived today in the form of this chapter so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Reliposh, ME TOO. There should be more PP2 related Chaubrey. XD**

 **AcapellaObsessor, right back at ya! Thanks for reading.**

They had three days until Aubrey was due back to work. Time that could be filled up by staying in bed. That was Chloe's opinion but Aubey had other plans. Ones that included camping… again. Which is why they were hiking out five miles from the retreat. The woods were gorgeous and the trail was clear.

Chloe looked down at the path littered with old leaves, pine needles and small rocks that jutted out of the ground. They scraped against the bottom of her tennis shoes and made it impossible to look ahead on the trail. It was frustrating, affixing her eyes to the ground and missing everything around them but tripping was worse.

"How much farther?" Chloe asked for third time since they had started.

Ahead of her, Aubrey stopped and turned. Her brows creased with an one higher than the other. It was Bellas practice all over again. Chloe liked the work and the sweat but she was always looking eagerly toward the end or the next thing because that was exciting. Setting up camp and enjoying each other's company was more gratifying than the five mile hike but Aubrey didn't complain. She'd been taught not to as she had explained to Chloe once.

She llocked Chloe in a bemused gaze."Just another mile until we get to the ridge," she answered.

Years ago such a question might have brought a different attitude. Starting over came with new approaches to life and maybe these alterations in them both would allow a connection forged from deeper roots between them. Settling down always lay so far ahead in the future during college that getting there seemed like a horizon that kept moving away as Chloe got closer.

It wasn't bad. That's what her early twenties were for. Now, not so far in the distance she could see it. Not like before when it was really blurry. Aubrey was there and they were happy. They still argued but it was okay because the kind of love they had transcended momentary conflict. It was real love. The kind she witnessed between her mother and father. What she was always afraid she would never find because of the transient nature of her attention.

"Okay," she smiled back.

That second of silence contained all that, exchanged in a steady look and wordless communication. That little slip of time disappeared in the hours of hiking and Chloe managed to only ask if they were close to their destination one more time before they got there. A victory, in her own estimation.

The woods remained the same, beautiful and alive, until they were on the last mile when they became denser. The canopy blocked most of the sun, leaving intermittent rays to break through to the forest floor. The litter of leaves and pine needles on the ground became thicker, obscuring the path and the smell of damp leaves pervaded Chloe's nose.

It was eerie but comforting in a way. There was no one out here to bother them. No one looking or expecting and certainly no one to judge their feelings. Aubrey was the only person in the world she would go out into the woods alone with. No one else made her feel safe.

The trail narrowed and became nothing more than a deer run and she looked up from it to find Aubrey waiting for her, both hands hanging in the straps of her pack. A sudden breeze cut through the trees, making the end of her blonde ponytail sway. The wavy curl, perfectly placed by nature swept back against her neck. The brisk air made Aubrey's green eyes alive with energy.

Her answering smile grew until she was sure she looked like a fool grinning in the middle of the woods looking at this woman. With a steady hand she reached out and grasped Aubrey's arm, sliding her hand down until their fingers were entwined. "Is this where we're camping?"

About a hundred yards off there was a clearing with a ring of stones in the middle and dark brittle wood that had been burned in the last few weeks. The trees that circled the site formed a natural barrier from the rest of the forest. There was a flat area for their tent and she could hear water flowing nearby, a creek maybe by the sound of the slow trickle.

"Yep," Aubrey replied. The tent was secured to her pack and she let go of Chloe's hand to shift it down and off her back, bending over to unbuckle the straps. "You're going to have to help me put this up so it's quicker."

"Yes ma'am," she chirped. Aubrey looked up instantly, eyebrow raised. "What? I'm happy to help." She could hardly keep the smile from her lips.

"You're making fun of me again, Chloe." Aubrey let loose of the pack straps and turned slowly, still crouched. "You know what the punishment for that is."

"No!" Chloe's eyes went wide as she stepped backwards one time and then another. Running was useless but half the fun. "I swear I didn't mean anything." She held her hands up in front of her, palms as far from her body as possible.

"Swearing when you don't mean it is even worse," Aubrey replied with a singsong tenor to her voice.

Chloe took off, turning as she ran and scooted around a tree, putting it between her body and Aubrey's approach. She darted to the left and made it around a fallen log, jogging carefullywith the uneven ground in mind. Another tree, with a broad trunk and no low branches, presented itself as cover and by then she had just about given up because Aubrey was right on her tail.

"Just wait till I catch you."

The evil smile that punctuated the words sent shivers down her spine. Playful Aubrey was rare. It was to be cherished and so she feigned right and let herself fall into the circle of arms whose fingers immediately found all her sensitive places. "No! Aubrey stop." She wriggled to and fro to no avail. The tickling fingers followed her movements and breathing was about to become her number one concern.

They fell to the forest floor, Aubrey on top, but she stopped moving her hands. Not pressing her advantage, she instead let the leaves settle around them and looked down. The faint smell of forest decay soothed Chloe. The hardness of the ground was cushioned by all the leaves and pine needles and she was glad for her vantage point. The sun streaked in from above Aubrey's head, giving her a glow. She seemed too good for this earth, a higher being.

Chloe reached up, both hands grasping and pushing back the hair that gravity had forced forward. She sat up, turning Aubrey's smile to a kiss. Her hands slipped from Aubrey's face and instead slid around to her back.

It was sweet fire as they battled, each attacking and withdrawing in a game of kissing cat and mouse. Aubrey nibbled Chloe's lower lip and nudged her nose, using the distraction to deepen the kiss. The quiet around them evolved with their sounds, taking on the vibrations they produced.

They rolled back, Chloe flipping Aubrey to the side and pulling back. "Is this going to be how we do this for the first time in… forever?" She dodged Aubrey's lips again and kept herself well away, lengthening the aching pleasure of anticipation.

"Is that a problem?"

With a chuckle, Chloe shrugged, "No, I'm just making sure."

Deep amusement and love painted her mind. The years had passed but kissing Aubrey. It felt like they'd never stopped but never started. She flipped them, taking pleasure in knowing that she was about to get the always clean Aubrey Posen covered in leaves and dirt. "You're hot when you forget to be OCD."

In another second, Chloe was on her back again. "I'm always hot," Aubrey replied. She pressed their lips together again in a hard kiss. "Now, shut up and take my clothes off."

"Yes ma'am."

"Chloe…."


End file.
